They say you can watch the game of baseball for years and still not witness everything there is to see.
Tuesday night’s game against Clemson was one of those times.
It took 20 innings, yes, 20 innings before a one-out bases-loaded single by Connor Tate enabled No. 5 Georgia to beat the No. 24 Tigers 3-2 in what was the longest game in the history of both schools.
“Clearly, we’re a really good team and that shows even better that we find ways to get it done,” Tate said after the game was over. “It doesn’t matter how many innings, how many pitches, we’re going to find a way to get it done.”
Not only was the game the longest in terms of innings, but the 6 hours and 33 minutes it took to complete was also the longest in terms of game time as Tate’s hit brought the Bulldogs (30-8) pouring out of the dugout to celebrate the improbable victory which ended at 1:35 a.m.
The two teams combined for 50 strikeouts, with Georgia fanning 24 times and Clemson 26, one shy of the NCAA mark of 51.
“That’s a big win, to go that long … it’s tough to lose that one,” Bulldog head coach Scott Stricklin said. “Both teams played their hearts out and we finally caught a break because no question our guys were getting fatigued and guys were starting to tighten up. We used every position player we had. Four pitchers had at-bats in that game, so it’s not something you see very often, but we found a way to win.”
Relievers Logan Moody and Darryn Pasqua both earned some respect.
Moody – who had appeared in just six previous games - tossed a career-best four innings giving up just one hit, one walk with eight strikeouts before turning the ball over to Pasqua to start the 16th.
Pasqua – who had appeared in just five previous games – pitched what turned out to be the game’s final five innings, allowing just two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, earning his first career victory.
“This just reinforces the work that I’ve put in,” Pasqua said. “There’s a process of working each day, just in case you get put in there. I was just glad to help the team out.”
A crowd of 3,419 witnessed the game, although that number dwindled as the night went on. Still, a well-voiced student section, which ultimately showed up, stayed until the end and screamed with every pitch.
“That was a great help to keep us going through those late innings,” Pasqua said. “Kudos to them for sticking around and helping us out.”
Stricklin agreed.
“About the 15th inning our guys were slap-happy, guys were wearing motorcycles and playing ping-pong in the dugout,” Stricklin said. “But then our student section came in about the 19th inning. That was awesome seeing those guys back behind home plate. It got really loud. That was a lot of fun.”
The game was scoreless through the first five innings before the Tigers (25-12) reached Bulldog starter Tim Elliott for two runs in the sixth for a 2-0 lead.
Tiger starter Jacob Hennessy, meanwhile, had Georgia’s number, limiting the Bulldogs to just two hits before being relieved by Owen Griffith to start the sixth. Sam Weatherly came on the start the seventh.
That’s when Georgia tied the game on one of the stranger plays you’ll see.
With pinch-runner Steven Minter on first after a one-out walk by Austin Biggar, Cam Shepherd ripped a double off the glove of third baseman Grayson Byrd. That’s when things got weird. After left fielder Chad Fairey ran the ball down in the corner, in his attempt to throw, the ball came out sideways out his hand, rolling into left-center field, allowing both Minter and Shepherd to come all the way around to even the score at 2-2. It stayed that way after Zac Kristofak and Aaron Schunk each stranded two runners before sending the game to the bottom of the ninth.
Schunk and Clemson closer Carson Spier took it from there.
The Bulldog righty followed with a scoreless 10th and 11th, with Spier doing one better, allowing just one hit in four innings of relief.
Sullivan almost won it for Georgia in the 12th before his long drive to left was hauled in right in front of the wall by Fairey, sending Moody back out to start the 13th.
Following his second scoreless inning, Georgia let another scoring opportunity slip away in the inning’s bottom half, putting runners at first and second with one out, only to have King strike out for the second out, bringing up Moody for his first at-bat of the year. He almost came through, lining a two-strike pitch off pitcher Holt Jones for the third out.
“Both Logan and Darryn did great,” Stricklin said. “I thought Logan was going to get the win and the walk-off RBI because he arguably hit the hardest ball of the day. But you can’t say enough about Logan and Darryn, the way they stepped up.”
